Ezra 2:11
The sons of Bebai, 623.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezra 2:11
The sons of Bebai, 623.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
It's easy to just see a name and a number here, but the inclusion of Bebai's lineage highlights how even the seemingly ordinary, unheroic family names were meticulously recorded in this grand procession returning from exile. This wasn't just a list of people; it was a sacred re-establishment, a careful accounting of God's redeemed people, ensuring every single soul was accounted for in their homecoming.
This passage is part of a lengthy census list detailing the thousands of Israelites returning to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. These names and numbers represent specific families and clans, like the sons of Bebai, and their return signifies a restoration of God's people to their homeland. The context emphasizes the sheer scale of this rebuilding effort, underscoring the significance of each group, even those with smaller numbers, in the larger re-establishment of Jewish life.
It's easy to see lists of names and numbers and just skim past them. But what if these weren't just statistics? What if they represented real people with stories?
The book of Ezra begins by meticulously listing the families returning from exile. While Ezra 2:11 simply states, 'The sons of Bebai, 623,' this isn't just a headcount. It's a sacred record.
God Sees the Whole Picture
Think about what this means: each of those 623 individuals mattered. God, through Ezra, records their presence. This emphasizes that no one is too small or insignificant in God's grand plan. Even in the sweeping narrative of people returning to their land, individual lives are accounted for. It reminds us that God keeps track of all His people, not just the prominent leaders, but every single person.
The Weight of Exile and Return
These weren't just arbitrary numbers; they represented people who had endured the trauma of exile and were now embarking on a journey back to their homeland. Each number signifies a life impacted by sin and judgment, but also touched by God's faithfulness in bringing them home.
Understand the original words
ben · Hebrew Noun
A term used to identify the descendants or members of a specific clan, tribe, or family unit, highlighting the importance of genealogy and heritage in biblical history. In this context, it designates the groups of returning exiles who trace their ancestry to a common ancestor or patriarch.
Bebay · Hebrew Noun (Proper)
A Hebrew name meaning 'father of Bel' or perhaps 'my father is Bel,' referring to an ancestor of one of the returning families from the Babylonian exile.
The number for the sons of Bebai isn't just a headcount; it represents a specific family unit returning from decades of exile, a testament to God's faithfulness in restoring His people to their land and their identity.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar's forces conquer Jerusalem, taking skilled workers and young nobility, including figures like Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Jerusalem is again besieged. King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans are exiled to Babylon, intensifying the captivity.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar finally destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, carrying the remaining population into exile. This event marks the effective end of the Judean kingdom as an independent entity.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers the Babylonian Empire, ushering in a new era. This conquest paves the way for the exiles' return to their homeland.
This verse lists the same group, the sons of Bebai, providing a slightly different count (628), highlighting the detailed record-keeping of families returning from exile.
Ezra 1:5This passage speaks of those whose spirits God stirred to return to Jerusalem, providing the spiritual impetus behind the genealogical lists like the one in Ezra 2.
Jeremiah 29:10This verse prophesies the end of the Babylonian exile and the eventual return to Jerusalem, setting the historical context for the lists of returning exiles found in Ezra.
Ezra 8:3This verse further identifies descendants of Bebai who returned with Ezra, showing continuity and the importance of tracking lineage even generations after the initial return.
henryEzra 2:1-35: "Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;"
2:1-35 An account was kept of the families that came up out of captivity. See how sin lowers a nation, which righteousness would exalt!
pooleEzra 2:11: "The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three."
No text from Poole on this verse.
It's easy to just see a name and a number here, but the inclusion of Bebai's lineage highlights how even the seemingly ordinary, unheroic family names were meticulously recorded in this grand procession returning from exile. This wasn't just a list of people; it was a sacred re-establishment, a careful accounting of God's redeemed people, ensuring every single soul was accounted for in their homecoming.
This passage is part of a lengthy census list detailing the thousands of Israelites returning to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. These names and numbers represent specific families and clans, like the sons of Bebai, and their return signifies a restoration of God's people to their homeland. The context emphasizes the sheer scale of this rebuilding effort, underscoring the significance of each group, even those with smaller numbers, in the larger re-establishment of Jewish life.
This passage is part of a lengthy census list detailing the thousands of Israelites returning to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon. These names and numbers represent specific families and clans, like the sons of Bebai, and their return signifies a restoration of God's people to their homeland. The context emphasizes the sheer scale of this rebuilding effort, underscoring the significance of each group, even those with smaller numbers, in the larger re-establishment of Jewish life.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Ezra 2:11 is available in the Sola app.
538 BC
Cyrus's Decree Allowing Return
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks the official end of the Babylonian exile and the start of the return.
c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Second Temple
Under Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest, the exiles complete the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. This is a central moment of their return and restoration.
c. 458 BC— this verse
Ezra's Return to Jerusalem
Ezra, a scribe learned in the Law of God, leads a second major group of exiles back to Jerusalem. He focuses on religious and social reform. The list in Ezra 2 enumerates those who returned earlier.
"The sons of Bebai, 623." — It's easy to just see a name and a number here, but the inclusion of Bebai's lineage highlights how even the seemingly ordinary, unheroic family names were meticulously recorded in this grand process…